1
as in destroys
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smashes
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Recent Examples of demolishes
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishes
Verb
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The extreme heat kills the plant tissue immediately and typically destroys the roots of many weed species.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For example, people now take care to wear shoes at home in case an explosion shatters glass, or there’s a need to evacuate immediately.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
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At that moment, the mirror reflecting the entire contents of Frenza’s mind from the past few days shatters in a kaleidoscope of dreams.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Delivery robot smashes into glass of bus shelter in Old Town on Tuesday afternoon.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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In fact, Bridget has a bold take that smashes our assumptions about what science is supposed to look like to smithereens.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One drop of red dye ruins the whole thing.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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And as per usual, a man ruins everything.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Lee’s reputation would suffer serious blows more recently.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
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Plan on a brisk Friday afternoon and evening as much colder air blows into Maryland.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishes. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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